


A Mother's Gift

by Ardruna



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Adolescence, Ammë knows everything, Attraction, Discussions you don't want to have with your mother, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Maedhros's little brothers are brats, Nerdanel suspects Maedhros won't be giving her grandbabies, Puberty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 15:26:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3330812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ardruna/pseuds/Ardruna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maitimo is growing up, and his mother decides to offer a little help with one of the inevitable challenges of that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Mother's Gift

**Author's Note:**

> 0\. This drabble came about in response to an unrelated role-playing thread involving Nerdanel's sculpting abilities and the many potential applications of it. So, a friend asked for this to exist in fic form, and well, here it is.  
> 1\. Since this is from Nerdanel's vantage point, only the amilessës are being used here.

She had named him "Maitimo" for a number of reasons. But there was no denying that Nerdanel's eldest was living up to his name as a very handsome young boy. Except, he wasn't a little boy anymore. How tall he had grown! His frame had filled out from long hours in the workshop alongside his father. Yes, he was well on his way to becoming a young man, and that brought with it challenges all of its own.

A number of young women in town tried to catch the eye of the handsome russet-haired prince, but, though he was cordial, he did not return the interest. However, his mother noted, his cheeks had a tendency to match his hair when leaving the family forge, and she doubted it was simply due to the heat. She caught the shy sidelooks that followed in the wake of the bare-chested assistants moving completed pieces from the forge and her studio. The smiles, lopsided and dreamy, he would get while talking to his friends. Nerdanel knew those looks. While Maitimo favored his mother's look, she remembered seeing those very looks from days long ago when she and her husband, Fëanáro, had been young. Fëanáro had looked at her in exactly the same way. And, she recalled, it had not been too very long after Fëanáro had begun to look at her that way that the night of Maitimo's begetting had occurred.

As days passed, she noticed her eldest spending more and more time in his room, away from the antics of his six younger brothers. Tyelkormo had begun to giggle incessantly whenever Maitimo disappeared, while little Atarinkë demanded to know what was so funny, crying with frustration when no one would explain it to him. Makalaurë, her secondborn, had taken a particular interest in following his elder brother around singing songs. True, he had done that from the moment he could walk quickly enough to follow in his brother's shadow, but these songs were... different. Taunting. Filled with the names of other young men in the city. Sometimes Maitimo simply tried to ignore him, other times he would shout back or threaten to break his brother's beloved harp. And other times, he would simply blush and retreat to his room or the baths, not coming out for long periods of time. Once in a while, Nerdanel's sensitive ears thought she heard soft noises coming from behind the closed doors.

It was on one such occasion, hearing quiet sounds on the other side of the door, that she paused. This time, it sounded more like crying. She knocked gently.

"Maitimo? Might I come in?"

There was a sudden flurry of rustling on the other side before it quieted and he opened the door.

"What is it, Ammë?" He gave her an innocent look, but his hasty preparations did not entirely hide the salt streaks on his cheeks. Nerdanel sat down at the edge of his bed, and gestured for him to sit beside her.

"My dear _yonya_ ," she said fondly, "You've grown so much. You will soon grow into a fine young man. I know growing up isn't easy. And sometimes, it brings... wants that seem difficult to contain. Your father and I went through it, too. It's why we married as young as we did. But you have your whole life ahead of you. Lots of time to explore and discover before you settle down with someone."

Maitimo looked at her warily. She smiled kindly and continued.

"I know you've had wants. And, well... I think you need an outlet for them. More than just things you think you need to hide from your mother. I think I can help you with that, if you'd be interested?"

"What _kind_ of help, Ammë?" Maitimo's question was laced with equal parts innocence, curiosity, and suspicion.

"Darling, you're talking to the finest sculptor in all of Aman. You know how lifelike I can make things. I could make you something as... a comfort. To relieve your tensions until you find someone you wish to make your partner in life," she explained.

Maitimo blushed, but he nodded.

"Good," she said, "Now my question for you is... Would you prefer the shape of this piece to be that of a woman? Or of a young man?"


End file.
